Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-08-04
JESUS IN GALILEE.

JESUS IN GALILEE.
Sunday, dug. Z, 1887. Mah.4; 1925.
After the Baptist was cast INTO
prison Jesus began TO preach the
gospel of his kingdom in Galllee,
which at that time was a division of
Palestine, lying north of Samaria
and extending from the Jordan and
the sea of Galilee on the east, to
Phenicia on the west. Modern trav-
elers describe this region as only
needing an industrious population to
be a paradise. In the days of Christ
it had a mixed population of Syrians,
PhenIcians, Arabians, Greeks, Ro-
mans and Israelites and was called
Galilee of the Gentiles. Though held
in contempt by Judia, it had four
hundred towns containing intelligent
citizens.
Both Jesus asd the Baptist began
their ministries at a distance from
Jerusalem. Both commenced where
the greatest willingness to listen ex-
listed, but the call of Jesus had more
attraction and possessed a deeper
significance than that of the Baptist.
The Baptist gave warning of a COM
ing wrath, but Jesus brought to light
the life-giving power of the gospel.
The Baptist was the more remark
able for his separateness, but the dis
tinguishing Characteristic Of Jesus
was his miraculous deliverance, COM
fort and healing, by which he exhibit
ed his divine power AND proved that
it was a heavenly influence, healing
not only the sick flesh, but restoring
the diseased soul, emanating from him
as the head and centre of his king
dom, and exercised upon all classes
of people and all conditions of bodi-
ly and mental arrangements and pos
sessions. People appreciated this
difference. They focked to the
Baptist but followed Jesus wherever
he went. His choice of place also
brought him into closer contact with
communities. Instead of remaining
in the wilderness he visited the syna-
gogues of the congregations Of Israel
where on Sabbath and Feast days it
was customary to assemble for wor-
ship. These synagogues were of ear
ly origin. They were usually found
ed by associations of worshipers.
Every moderately sized town in Cali
lee had at least one and Jerusalem is
said to bave had near five hundred.
They. existed also in many of the cit
les of Asia Minor and Greece and were
scenes for many apotolic missionary
efforts. Their services consisted
mainly of prayer and singing and of
reading and expounding scripture.
They sustained the same relation to
the whole congregation OF Israel that
modern churches do to the whole
membership of the Kingdom OF
Christ, and seem to have been de-
signed in the providence of God for
transition from temple and symbolic
to more spiritual worship.
At the sea of Galilee Jesus found
ANDREW, Peter, James and John,
with all of whom he was previously
acquainted while they were disciples
of the Baptist. They were engaged
in tneir occupation as fishermen and
were induced by a miraculous
draught of fishes, to abandon their
employment and become constant
attendants upon Jesus. They were
therefore more with Jesus than his
other disciples, were blessed by his
private, as well as the public instruc-
tons, beheld his miracles, saw his
TRANSPORTATION, were present at his
trial and cruclfixion, had intercourse
with him after his resurrection, were
initiated into acknowledge of the mys-
teries of the Kingdom of God, had
place among his Apostles, and finally
witnessed his ascent to heaven. 1t
would be a mistake to suppose that
these men were wholly illiterate.
Their writings and the records of
their addresses prove they were not.
It is worthy of note, too, that they
were called in pairs, two by two, en-
deared to each other by the relation
ship of brother to brother and that
their new relation, instead of dimin-
ishing cast a halo Of strength around
their old and earthly one by intro
duciRg them into the heavenly broth.
erhood of the Lord. Andrew, who
was first called, may be regarded as
the pioneer disciple. Upon him de-
volvedthe opening up of the Gospel
and its extension to the Gentiles. He
vas present on Olivet when Christ
foretold the destruction Of the tenn
pie. His first field Of labor was
ScyDthia. Tradition ascribes many
miracles to him and it is said he. was
crucifed at Hierapolis in Phrygia,
because he converted to christianity
the wife and brother Of the Roman
Prcconsul of that province. The char
acter and acts of Peter have deeply
interested the church and world in
all ages. His individuality was SO
strong that warmth and earnestness
manifested themselves even on his
weaknesses. His impulsive charac-
ter led him into many errors and be-